Soap dispensing apparatus



Feb. 10, 1942. B. F. JOHNSON 2,272,659

SOAP DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed May 16, 1941 Patented Feb. 10, 1942 as Io'ric 8 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and mor particularly to adevice especially designed for dispensing cakes of soap.

The object of the invention is to provide a soap dispenser of simple andinexpensive construction adapted to be positioned in a bath room,lavatory or any other desired place and by means of which cakes of soapmaybe conveniently delivered one at a time for immediat use whendesired.

A further object is to provide a dispensing devic comprising a soapreceiving magazine having a delivery apron associated therewith andprovided with a cut-off bail for controlling the delivery of cakes ofsoap from the magazine to said apron.

A further object is to provide a cut-off bail, one end of which isnormally extended beneath the magazine to prevent the discharge of thecakes of soap in said magazine while the other end thereof is providedwith an impaling member which, when pressed inwardly, pierces and holdsthe adjacent cake of soap in the magazine and at the same time moves thecut-ofi bail to released position so as to permit the discharge of thelowermost cake of soap in the magazine onto the delivery apron.

A still further object of th invention is generally to improv this classof devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency aswell as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in allthe figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a soap dispensing device embodying thepresent invention showing one of th cakes of soap discharged from thmagazine onto the apron and in convenient position to be removedtherefrom when desired,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view,

Figure 3 is a top plan view partly in section, and

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view illustrating a modifiedform of the invention.

The improved soap dispensing devic forming the subject-matter of thepresent invention is preferably stamped or otherwise formed of metal andcomprises an elongated magazine 5 adapted to receive a plurality ofsuperposed cakes of soap, indicated at 6.

Secured to or formed integral with th back wall I of the magazine 5 is adownwardly and forwardly curved delivery apron 8 provided withoppositely disposed upstanding guard flanges 9 merging into a stopflange H] extending transversely across the free end of the apron sothat, when a cake of soap is discharged from the magazine 5, it will bheld against accidental displacement on the apron 8 and in convenientposition to be removed therefrom when desired.

Associated with the magazine 5 is a vertically disposed cut-ofi bail H,said bail being of U- shape formation and having its side portions orlegs pivotally mounted at l2 on the magazine 5 its bottom portion l3normally extended across the open end of th magazine 5 so as to preventthe discharge of the cakesof soap 6 therefrom.

Pivotally connected at M with the upper ends of the side members of thecut-01f bail H is an impalement member in th form of a horizontallydisposed bail I5 having an impaling pin l6 extending laterally from theinner face thereof and adapted to pass through an opening I! in theadjacent wall of the magazine for engagement with a cake of soap whensaid bail !5 is pressed inwardly. The bottom portion is of the cut-01T-bail H is normally and yielda-bly supported beneath the open end of themagazine by coiled springs I 8, one end of each of which is passedthrough an opening 19 in the adjacent side bar of the cut-off bail whilethe other end thereof is rigidly fastened at 28 to the wall of themagazine. Fitting over the front bar of the bail 15 are boxlike housings25 having their inner ends spaced apart to expose the central portion ofthe bail and to which exposed portion is fastened a push button 22.

In operation th magazine 5 is filled or partially filled with cakes ofsoap disposed one above the other and said cakes of soap are normallyheld against displacement by th lower portion of the cut-off bail, asbest shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. When a cake of soap is desired,the operator presses inwardly on the button 22 which causes the impalingpin It to pierce the adjacent cake of soap in the magazine and at thesame time move the lower portion l3 of th cutoff bail outwardly frombeneath the open end of the magazine so as to permit the lowermost cakeof soap in said magazine to drop downwardly onto the delivery apronwhere it can be conveniently removed when desired. As soon as the inwardpressure on the button 22 is released, the springs I 8 willautomatically move the lower ,portion l3 of the cut-off bail to aposition beneath the open end of the magazine and thus prevent thefurther discharge of cakes of soap from said magazin until the member I5is again pressed inwardly. It will thus be seen that by successivelypressing inwardly on the button 22 the cakes of soap may be dischargedone at a time from the magazine and deposited on the delivery apron forconvenient removal therefrom when desired. The pivotal connectionbetween the member t5 and the cut-01f bail Ii permits the impalingmember or pin it to be centered with respect to the opening I! and thuspierce the cake of soap at right angles thereto so that the piercingaction will be positive and the upper cakes of soap securely heldagainst dropping downwardly during the delivery of the lowermost cake ofsoap onto the receiving apron.

The rear wall of the casing is preferably provided with one or moreopenings 23 for the reception of nails or screws, by means of which thesoap dispenser may be conveniently secured to a wall or other support.

In Figure 4 of the drawing, there is illustrated a modified form of theinvention, in which a suitable guard plate 24 is secured to the sidewall of the magazine so as to form a housing and protection for theadjacent coiled spring [8 and its associated parts, the construction andoperation of the device being otherwise similar to that shown in Figure1 of the drawing.

It will, of course, be understood that the soap dispensers may be madein different sizes and shapes and constructed of any suitable materialwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A device of the class described including a magazine adapted tocontain cakes of soap, a substantially U-shaped cut-off bail pivotallymounted on the magazine and having its closed portion normally extendingacross the bottom of the magazine for preventing the discharge of cakesof soap therefrom, and a manually operable member pivotally connectedwith the cutoff bail and adapted when pressed inwardly to engage onecake of soap and simultaneously actuate the cut-off bail to permit thedischarge of another cake of soap from said magazine.

2. A device of the class described comprising a magazine provided withan open bottom and adapted to contain cakes of soap and having adelivery apron associated therewith, a substantially U-shaped cut-offbail pivotally mounted on the magazine and having its closed portionnormally extending across the open bottom thereof to prevent thedischarge of cakes of soap therefrom, and a manually operable impalementmember pivotally connected with the upper portion of the bail andadapted when pressed inwardly to impale a cake of soap andsimultaneously actuate the cut-off bail to permit the discharge of acake of soap onto the delivery apron.

3. A device of the class described comprising a magazine having an openbottom and adapted to contain cakes of soap, said magazine beingprovided with a depending laterally curved delivery apron, a cut-offbail pivotally mounted on the magazine and normally extending across thebottom thereof for preventing the discharge of cakes of soap, and animpalement member pivotally connected with the bail and provided with apin adapted to pierce a cake of soap when said impalement member ispressed inwardly and simultaneously actuate the cut-off bail to permitthe discharge of a cake of soap onto the delivery apron.

4. A device of the class described comprising a magazine having itslower end open and provided with a delivery apron, said magazine havingan opening formed in the front thereof, a vertically disposed U-shapedcut-off bail pivotally mounted on the magazine and normally extendingacross the open bottom thereof for preventing the discharge of cakes ofsoap therefrom, a horizontally disposed U-shaped bail pivotallyconnected with the vertical bail, a spring forming a connection betweenthe vertical bail and the magazine, and a pin carried by the horizontalbail and adapted to extend through the opening in the magazine andpierce an adjacent cake of soap and simultaneously actuate the verticalbail to permit the discharge of a cake of soap from the magazine ontothe delivery apron.

5. A device of the class described includin an open ended magazineadapted to contain cakes of soap, a laterally curved delivery aprondepending from the magazine and provided with oppositely disposed guardflanges and a terminal stop, a cut-off bail pivotally mounted on themagazine, a spring operatively connected with the bail for normallyholding said bail across the lower end of the magazine, and animpalement member pivotally connected with the bail and adapted whenpressed inwardly to pierce a cake of soap and simultaneously actuate thecut-off bail to permit the discharge of a cake of soap from the magazineonto the delivery apron and in contact with the terminal stop thereof.

6. A device of the class described comprising an open ended magazinehaving an opening formed in the front wall thereof and provided with alaterally curved depending delivery apron, said magazine being adaptedto contain a plurality of superposed cakes of soap, a verticallydisposed cut-off bail pivotally mounted on the side walls of themagazine and including a bar normally extending across the Open end ofthe magazine, a spring connected with the vertical bail beneath thepivot thereof, and an impalement member pivotally connected with theupper end of said vertical bail and provided with an intermediate pinadapted to extend through the opening in the magazine and pierce theadjacent cake of soap when said impalement member is pressed inwardlyand simultaneously actuate the vertical bail to permit discharge of thelowermost cake of soap in the magazine onto said delivery apron.

7. A device of the class described comprising an open ended magazineadapted to receive a plurality of superposed cakes of soap, a deliveryapron disposed beneath the open bottom of the magazine, a verticallydisposed substantially U- shaped locking bail pivotally mounted on themagazine and having its lower end normally ex- L tending across the openbottom of the magazine,

springs secured to the magazine and fastened to the vertical bailbeneath the pivots of said bail, an impalement member comprising aU-shaped horizontally disposed bail having its opposite ends pivotallyconnected with the adjacent ends of the vertical bail, and a pinprojecting inwardly from the medial portion of the horizontal bail andadapted to extend through an opening in the magazine and pierce theadjacent cake of soap therein when said bail is pressed inwardly andsimultaneously move the vertical bail to release position to permit thedischarge of a single cake of soap onto said delivery apron.

8. A device of the class described comprising a magazine adapted tocontain cakes of soap and provided with an opening, a cut-off bailpivotally mounted on the magazine and normally extending across thebottom thereof for preventing the discharge of soap therefrom, animpalement bail pivotally connected with the cut-off bail and extendingacross the front of the magazine, an impalement pin carried by theimpalement bail and operating within said opening, housing membersfitting over the impalement bail and having their inner ends spacedapart to expose a portion of said impalement bail, and a push buttonsegured to the exposed portion of said impalement ail.

BENJAMIN F. JOHNSON.

